Confusion over official figures after the government removed 1,600 people from the list of homeless people.
Latest figures published on the number of people living in homelessness show there has been a significant drop. However, homeless charity Focus Ireland is not so sure that the figures add up.
Minister for Housing, Eoin Murphy, told the Dáil yesterday that the total number of people in emergency accommodation in August was 9,527 and that the number of new people presenting as homeless was down by 238.
Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland, says that 1,600 people have been taken out of the count of homelessness over the last few months. He says that there is no clear explanation as to why they have been removed from the statistics. Having accurate figures on the number of homeless people is absolutely fundamental in planning a response and crucial to formulating policy.
Homelessness is a very complex issue.
Mike Allen acknowledges that homelessness is a complicated issue which is difficult to measure. He is at a loss as to why the government has decided to change how the figures are calculated without any consultancy with homeless organisations. While the method for calculating the number of people who are homeless had flaws, it was at least consistent.
Minister Eoin Murphy claims that a re-categorisation has taken place as there were people classified as homeless who should not have been. Mike Allen says that figure should count the number of people living in emergency accommodation that is paid for by the state out of a designated fund.
Mike Allen believes that the confusion over the figures is distracting attention from the real issues that need to be addressed.
We want to find a solution to homelessness.
Ahead of the budget announcement, Mike Allen would like to see money set aside for social housing and funding to provide every homeless family with a case manager to represent them.
We know that a case manager makes you four times more likely to get out of homelessness.
This episode of 'Morning Ireland' was broadcast on 28 September 2018. The reporter is Paul Cunningham.
